Infection
by pageofspace
Summary: Alex unknowlingly infects a young girl with the virus. Chaos ensues.
1. Chapter 1

The virus started taking over, slowly consuming me. I was scared, nervous... and at the same time, I didn't know if the feeling was real.

"Alex!" I cried. He had to be here somewhere. "Alex!"

Hours must've passed before he sauntered into the room. "Settle down, kid. You're fine."

I wasn't _fine_. I was far from it. He should've known, he's been through this! "Alex, make it stop. It hurts, Alex... please... end it now!"

"For someone in such pain, you're doing an awful lot of talking. Stay quiet and just breathe. It helps it go over faster."

"You don't think I've tried that?"

He mutters something under his breath before a black void overcomes my vision.

_I can't see. Alex, I can't see!_

I can't talk, either.

I lie on the operation table, writhing in pain, unable to speak, scream, or combat this infection. It'll all be over soon, I think. It'll be done and over with if I just...


	2. Chapter 2

"Clare?"

Someone was calling my name. What had happened?

"Clare, wake up!"

It sounded like Alex. It had to be Alex, everyone else is dead... right? Of course right. There's no way... then my eyes opened.

"Jesus, Clare!" Alex said, jumping back suddenly. "Are you alright?"

"Do I look alright?" I shouted before raising my head to look myself over. "Oh. I guess I do."

I slip out of the restraints on the table and hop off, hoping to land safely next to the bed. My body has other plans. My legs crumple beneath me and Alex sighs. I struggle to get up, clawing the table, walls, and anything else in reach. I stand up, finally, legs searing. There's a heat emanating from my right arm.

"Congratulations, Clare. You're a monster," Alex says dryly.

"I'm a what?" I ask, confused. I look down at my arm. It's turned into a blade, one that...

Suddenly, I'm on the floor again, writhing. The sight of the blade brought back some memory I wasn't ready to handle. A minute or two passes and I'm aware of my surroundings again. Someone's holding me in their arms, and we're walking forward. My arm is no longer the blade. I look up and see Alex, staring forward. Memories rush into my head again.

I roll out of Alex's grip and my arm materializes into the blade. "You killed me!"

Alex sighs. "No, I infected you. If I had killed you, you would've been better off. Got it?"

"Why am I like this?"

"God only knows," Alex says, agitated. "I didn't choose your fate! You didn't- the virus didn't want to die!"

"The virus?"

"You're infected. You're a monster. You're like me."


	3. Chapter 3

"Alex, quit playing games with me!"

"I'm not playing games with you, Clare. Believe me when I say this is not what I wanted."

Before I could respond, something surged through my body. An electrical current, something metallic. It numbed my limbs, took over my mind. I fell into Alex, sending us both to the floor.

"Damn it, Clare! You're reacting worse than I did."

"No way, genius," I croak. "Are you a rocket scientist or something, because that was a really nice insight."

Alex sighs for what must be the millionth time today. "You need to start listening to me, alright? I've been through this. I know how to deal with this. I _am _the Blacklight virus."

I stare at him for a moment. "You're infected?"

"No, Clare." He stops, thinking over his words. "I was the first victim of the virus in Penn Station. It consumed by body, turning me into it. I was a host for the virus until it destroyed me. I ceased to be Alex Mercer. I am now what Blackwatch dubbed my codename. I am Zeus, a parasite feeding off this world. I'm not infected, I am the infection."

"I've heard the stories, Alex, I just didn't know... that side of them."

"Now you know," he says. I roll off him and he gets up. I try to stand but fail. He holds out a hand and I take it, pulling myself up. "And clearly you haven't heard much. That's not even the whole side of it."

"Well, from what the news stations said, the virus was destroying New York City and evading the military and everyone had to be on guard. The last broadcast said everyone was infected."

"And you blacked out three hours after it ended. That's when I found you."

"Found me?"

"I'd been watching you for a few days. I knew that the strain of the virus you have would turn out like mine. So I took care of you until you woke up. By the time that happened, you were in the middle of the active phase of infection. The virus was still rewriting your DNA, making itself part of you. That's why you were in pain and that's why you can't do much now. You need to rest and let your body get accustomed to your new form."


	4. Chapter 4

_ Three days later, in a suburb of Boston._

So the virus didn't just wipe out New York. It wiped out the entire world. The winds carried it as far as they could. It infiltrated all water sources. Hunters and the first wave of infected creatures transmitted the virus to others.

I look back at Alex, who is unfamiliar to this part of the country. _This used to be Arlington_, I think as we pass a large park near an independent coffee shop. Getting lost in this town isn't an option, unless you're a moron. I don't think Alex is that stupid, and I used to live here, so between us, we should be alright for a while.

"I'm sure the military's alive somewhere," Alex says in an effort to make me stop.

I ignore him and keep moving. We need to find somewhere to stay.

"Everything's run down, what are you looking for?"

Again, I ignore him. _Alex, just shut up. I know what I'm doing._

"Clare, what the hell is going on?" Alex roars, jumping in front of me. "We've been running for three days. I'm trying to keep you the hell alive and you're jeopardizing all of that. You haven't healed properly, and it's going to affect your abilities in the future."

"Alex, please. We're almost there. Maybe five more minutes of running, and we'll have a home. You'd like that, wouldn't you?"

"I haven't exactly had a home for most of my life. What's there to look forward to?"

I smile. "Why don't you follow me? We'll pick a house, live in it, and act as if this never happened. I'll show you what you've been missing out on."

Three minutes later, we're standing outside a nice house in the Heights. It's not huge, but it's not tiny, and plenty enough for two people to live in.

"So this is the house we're going to be staying in?" Alex asks, eyeballing first the house, then me. "A little less impressive than a penthouse."

"We're not all neurosurgeons, Alex. Not everyone's had the same privileges as you," I say.

"You get that from a book? I remember reading it somewhere."

"_The Great Gatsby_. One of my favorites. Poor Gatsby, though. He didn't deserve to die the way he did, all alone and empty inside."

"That was deep."

I smile to myself and walk through the front door. Nostalgia hits me as I cross the threshold, bringing back sweet memories of my mother cooking, my sisters watching TV or playing with the pets. We had a conure... a smaller version of a parrot, I think... and a couple guinea pigs. Legitimate pets, not like cats who will either ignore you entirely or hamsters or other rodents who are up at all hours. Conures... friendly birds. Not like parakeets, who rely on themselves in a group of two or more. Finches would have been nice, but my mom heard these guys were a bit easier to clean up after.

Either way, Alex walks in behind me and surveys the hallway ahead into the kitchen. Stairs go up to the second floor on the left, and there's a small living room area to the right. Further back, a family room, a porch, and upstairs: three bedrooms, a bathroom, and a closet.

Though as much as I wish there was no work to be done on the home, there is. Cabinets are falling apart, the pipes must have leaked in at least a couple places, and I'm sure the water heater needed to be looked after.

"Alex," I start, nabbing his attention. "Do you know anything about home improvement?"

He shakes his head. "I always called someone to do it for me. I never had time."

"Well, a fat lot of good that does!" I say. "It's alright, I know my way around. I did this stuff with my dad every weekend back when I was a kid."

"Must've been nice," he says. "Bonding time with Dad and everything."

"Oh. I'm sorry, did I hit a raw nerve or-"

"No, it's alright. I'm over everything my parents did to me and Dana. We've got a better life now, without them, so it's alright. You said you'd rest after we got here. So go. Lie down on a bed upstairs or something. I'll see what works in terms of electrical stuff."

"I thought you said you didn't do home improvement."

"I'm a scientist. I know my way around electrical wiring. And I think I can manage by myself in the kitchen."

"Call me if you need help," I say as I climb the stairs. Before I close the door to the nearest bedroom, I hear Alex laugh and make some crude joke. I'm too wiped out to pay attention, though, so I fall onto the bed and close my eyes.


	5. Chapter 5

During my much-needed rest, I have nightmares on and off. They come and go, ebbing and flowing like a river. They don't bother me too much, maybe because I am a nightmare myself. I've been desensitized, and my body can't feel fear. Maybe I'm in too much of a haze to believe what's going on.

Regardless, when I wake up to see Alex staring at me from across the room, I jump back so far, I hit the wall. My back cracks in three or four different places. Alex chuckles.

"You've been asleep for a week. You alright?" he asks. He's in a better mood.

"Yeah, I'm fine. I don't feel any different," I say. "You're in a better mood."

"I fed off some infected people while you were out."

I didn't recall seeing any infected around the town, but I put the thought out of my mind and focus my attention to the fact that I had slept for a week. "I really slept for a week?"

"Yeah, more or less. Come on, we're going to go feed," Alex says before I can object. "You're probably lacking in the energy department."

I stand up with difficulty and walk behind Alex until we reach the center of Boston, which is filled to the brim with infected civilians wandering aimlessly around. Out of nowhere, I whip my arm at one and it extends, latching onto the infected and drawing it close. My body assimilates it, and it's like I'm eating a five-course meal. I can feel my body getting, for lack of a better word, fatter. I feed on about ten more before Alex tells me to settle down.

"There isn't an infinite supply of these things, you know."

I sigh and stop consuming the masses. Alex jumps into the wall of a building and begins to run up its side. I follow, simply running at it from my current position. When I reach the top, I see Alex, completely petrified, looking into the sky.

"Alex, are you alright?" I ask as smoke clouds my vision. I can't see a thing and I don't know where Alex is or what he saw, but it must have been important. I jump off the building and run inside, hiding under a receptionist's desk until I hear nothing.

I wait another five minutes and exit the building, looking around for Alex.

I run back to the roof in hopes of finding him.


	6. Chapter 6

Instead of finding Alex awake and fighting, I see him curled up on the roof. He's writhing in pain, struggling against something. I can see a glowing vein trace its way down his arm.

Helicopters are around, watching our every move.

"Alex, do me a favor and don't be dead. _Please _don't be dead," I pray into his ear. He stirs.

Before I can rejoice, a helicopter fires at us. Instinctively, I cover the wounded Alex with my body, the virus manipulating my shoulders to form some sort of shield or armor. The helicopters fire more rounds. The cacophony of bullets ricocheting off my body is haunting, almost mind-numbing in its eeriness.

By some miracle, I get past it and pluck a power generator from the roof of the building and chuck it at the helicopter firing at us. It explodes, and I quickly destroy the other without them calling in reinforcements.

I pull Alex's arm across my shoulders and put my free arm around his waist. I inch towards the edge of the roof, planning the best way to get down without Alex dying in the process.

For lack of better judgment, I simply jump and hope for the best.


	7. Chapter 7

It's been a few days, and Alex is improving a bit.

He opens his eyes, recognizes I'm there, and acknowledges me as his primary caregiver in this state. The glowing vein has spread into thousands upon thousands, infiltrating every part of his body, rendering it useless. It pulses a bright purple, making it easy to distinguish from the initial virus- from Zeus itself.

_ Another couple days and he should be fine_, I keep telling myself. _His body just needs time to combat the virus. He'll assimilate it, just like the old virus did to Alex himself._

I'm about to go out to hunt when Alex calls my name. I run upstairs only to find that he's fallen down and can't find the strength to get up.

I put him back on the bed and sit him up against the wall.

"Clare, will I be okay?" he asks, his voice raspy.

I take a minute to choose my words. "Yes. You'll be fine soon. Your body needs to combat the new virus, that's all."

He nods and falls over. _Maybe he'll be alright. Hopefully._


	8. Chapter 8

"Clare!" Alex screams.

_Damn_.

I jolt awake and look around. I fell asleep on the couch again, second time in the past three days. Alex has been up on and off, battling the virus, and I've been trying to make the house not look like a dump. So far, it's been working, but I haven't been sleeping much.

"C- Clare!" Alex screams again.

I sprint up the stairs and burst into his bedroom. The first thing I notice is that he's curled himself up in the fetal position. Second, he's almost entirely purple, and third: Alex Mercer, or, rather, the virus that calls itself Zeus, is completely and utterly _afraid_.'

"Oh my God, Alex, what went wrong?" I cry, kneeling by the bed. I look him in the eye and put a hand on his head.

"It's... taking over..." he wheezes. "Body not... assimilating..."

I act on a whim and put my hand on his upper arm, rubbing it gently. "Alex, we'll get you a doctor, alright? You're going to be fine."

"There's no one left, Clare. They're all infected."

If he pulled together enough strength to say that, then it must be true.

"Where's the heart of the virus?" I ask, standing up.

He coughs and doesn't answer; however, I see a bright purple splotch on his shoulder and determine it as the source.

I tell him to stay calm and take some deep breaths. Luckily, he's good at calming himself down and relaxes his body. I lay him out on his stomach.

"Alright, listen, Alex. I'm going to try and take out the source. Do you know if that will do any good?"

"It'll stop it from growing," Alex says. His voice is hoarse. "My body will take care of the rest, just as long as I can feed."

"Alright, I'll just be a minute."

I fly down the stairs and into the kitchen. I take a paring knife and a filet knife from the block near the stovetop and carefully take them upstairs. I pillage the bathroom for a bottle of rubbing alcohol and a towel. I find a half-bottle of isopropyl and a face towel. I go back into Alex's bedroom.

"Don't panic," I warn him before he sees the knives and alcohol. I sterilize the knives and soak the towel in the alcohol, then place it on the lump on his shoulder.

Alex winces in pain and begins to thrash around.

"Stop that!" I bark.

"You didn't say it would hurt!" he retorts.

"You're already in pain, I didn't think it would do a difference!"

Alex sighs and grabs the sides of the mattress. "You didn't even ask if I was ready!"

I sigh. "Well, are you ready?"

"Yes. You may resume the torture," he says.

I place the towel on the lump again and he tenses up. I press it down for a minute or two, then take it off and reach for the paring knife.

"Wait, wait, wait," he says, his voice raspier than before. "Talk while you do it so I can think about that. Not the virus."

"What do I talk about?"

"Anything. I mean... what did you do before all this happened?" he asks.

I think for a minute. "Alright. Are you ready?"

He nods and I begin.

"Well, back a few years ago, before everything, I was in high school. I was a senior when the outbreak happened. I had a real great future ahead of me. I was going to my top-choice college. I was going to study what I absolutely loved to do. I was going to settle down in a nice apartment in the city with a roommate or a friend from college. And I was going to be happy. Money... I couldn't have cared less about making money. I was going to do what I loved."

While I was telling the first part of my story, I had cut out a large portion of the lump. I brought the trash bin over from the other side of the room, dumped it in, and continued removing the large bits with the paring knife.

"Then the outbreak happened. One by one, I watched everyone I loved turn into a walking bag of infected flesh. I guess what happened was I was infected later on, after the initial outbreak, and it was dormant until it received a catalyst from whatever you've got. So now I'm here."

I had finished taking out the last big part of the lump by the time I was done. Before I could go in with the filet knife and take out the smaller bits, Alex's body had filled the crater with its own mass, and was now slowly repairing itself.

Alex smiled and rolled over. "Clare, you probably saved my life. Thanks." He closed his eyes and began to sleep peacefully for the first time in about a week and a half.


	9. Chapter 9

_Alex's perspective._

It's been what, maybe a month since this girl's been infected? Christ... it didn't feel like that long. She's taking the transformation well. Then again, I'm not sure she fully understands that she no longer exists. She's the virus.

I'd hate to see her determination shattered. She's like Dana. They're similar in age, build, and temperament. Clare, though... she looks like a lady.

Long, dark hair. Deep blue eyes. Never wears make up. The frayed jeans the virus kept. The black v-neck shirt. A pair of worn, classic Chucks.

That was it. No more, no less. It suited her perfectly. The virus... I guess it worked differently when it infected women. She was still able to maintain her long hair as if she were still human.

_Damnit, Alex. Stop this right now. Trust no one. Not this girl, not anyone._

It had been an eternity since I'd felt anything close to home, but here with Clare, it felt like I was wanted. Welcomed. Loved, even.


End file.
